About Cloth Menstrual Pads

by Amy Hill Schaffer ‘09

Cloth menstrual pads have many benefits over disposable products. They are cheaper, last longer, and do not end up in landfills like disposable sanitary napkins. They are comfortable, available in many styles and patterns, and can be customized to fit your body and needs instead of being mass-produced in a particular size and shape that may not work for you. In addition, cloth pads are made by women, and buying cloth pads means supporting women entrepreneurs and small business owners.

Cloth menstrual pads are available in many places online, both from larger companies such as Lunapads and by individual sellers on sites such as Etsy and LiveJournal’s Cloth Pad Sales community. Each cloth pad seller has a particular pad design and particular fabrics, some of which will fit your body and your needs better than others.

Pads are generally made from an outer layer of a soft, comfortable fabric, such as cotton flannel, and an inner layer of absorbent material, such as terrycloth. There are many options, with different thicknesses and fabrics for different levels of absorbency. Many women feel more comfortable with pads which are waterproofed with PUL (polyurethane laminated fabric) to prevent leaks, although pads without PUL are usually sufficient for women without a particularly heavy flow.

Adahy’s pattern and variations of rounded pad styles are very popular, although many pads have a more squared-off look or wider center. This and other styles are AIO, or all in one. Another style, which is used by Lunapads, has multiple absorbent layers which can be added to or removed from the pad base. Theses layers can be placed inside a pocket or held down with strips of fabric or rickrack. While AIO pads have the advantage of convenience, pads with multiple layers are easier to customize based on your flow and air-dry much more quickly.

Cloth pads tend to average about $5 apiece, depending on the fabric involved. (Bamboo cloth, for example, which is more absorbent than cotton and has antibacterial properties, is also much more expensive.) Depending on your flow and period length, you may need 15-25 pads to get through your cycle, which would be about a $75-125 investment. They are cheaper, however, in bulk and if you purchase seconds, pads with small aesthetic flaws which generally go for about half price. If you have the resources, there are also many instructions and patterns for making your own menstrual pads.

Unlike disposable pads, however, cloth pads generally last about five years. Depending on how much you pay for disposable pads, your investment will pay for itself in one to two years. And unlike cloth diapers, whose washing costs can eliminate much of the savings from not using disposables, cloth pads can be easily thrown in with the regular laundry. This helps save water, the environment, and your pocketbook.

The biggest advantage of cloth pads, however, is that they’re fun. Disposable pads are white, bland, and boring. Cloth menstrual pads come in a multitude of fun colors and patterns, such as Hello Kitty, Star Wars, and half-naked cowboys. They are not only customizable for your body, but also for your interests. With all the advantages for both you and the environment, it’s worth giving cloth pads a try.

Tags: Amy Hill Schaffer, Earth Friendly, Menstruation, Recycling